Toilet bowl screen



- March 19, 1957 H. HOFFMAN EI'AL TOILET BOWL SCREEN Filed April 4, 1955 .7 2m ll e k W W United States Patent TOILET BOWL SCREEN Harry Hoffman and Louis Hoffman, Philadelphia, Pa. Application April 4, 1955, Serial No. 498,862

3 Claims. (Cl. 68-235) The present invention relates to toilet accessories and more particularly to a screen for use in toilet bowls as a support for soiled articles, such as diapers, to be rinsed and cleared of fecal matter by the flushing action of the water discharging through the bowl, said screen functioning to exclude the diaper, as well as other foreign bodies, from the drain passages.

It is a common practice to rinse diapers by su'bmergence in the water contained in the bottom of the bowl, and by subsequent successive dippings to clear it of fecal matter. This is a generally unsatisfactory method, accompanied by the danger of losing the diaper down the discharge pipe by inadvertent flushing of the bowl after initial deposit of the diaper therein or by actual snatching of the diaper from the hands by the discharging water where attempt is made to utilize the flushing action in the rinsing operation.

An object of the present invention is to provide a novel device for aiding in the rinsing of diapers in a toilet bowl.

Another object is to provide a screen or strainer to be placed in a toilet bowl as a support for soiled diapers to be washed by the flushing water discharged through the bowl, said screen to be shaped or formed so as to preclude the diaper from unduly obstructing the flow of water to the drain.

Another object is to provide an open-mesh strainer arranger 'to fit within the bowl of a toilet and to provide a diaper receiving well located below the level of the water in the bowl and in the path of the flushing water.

The invention resides also in certain novel structural features hereinafter described including means for adjusting the device to bowls of different depths.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the attached drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of a strainer embodying one form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of a toilet bowl show ing the strainer in operative position, and

Fig. 3 is a detail view of a modified form of strainer retaining means.

Referring to the drawing, the screen is shown in the form of an open-mesh wire basket comprising a wire ring and sets of interconnected wires 11 and 12 having ends respectively made fast to the ring 10. Both sets of wires are looped downwardly from the ring 10 to form a basket conforming generally in shape to the inside contour of the bowl 13 of a flush toilet, and including in its conformation a depressed diaper-receiving well 14 to be located in the area of the discharge outlet 15 of the bowl. Transversely the ring 10 is dimensioned to seat in such selected horizontal plane withinthe bowl as will ensure the contents of the well being properly immersed and in the primary path of flushing water discharging from the usual ports under the rim of the bowl.

As a means for placing the screen in position in a bowl, two U-shaped arms 16 and 17 are hinged at opposite sides respectively of the ring 10, such hinging means preferably permitting each arm to swing about the ring as a pivot while also permitting movement along the ring for change of position, In'the present instance the bridge pieceof the arm 16 is bentdaterally toform a guide loop 18, and the bridge piece of thearm-17 is likewise bent laferally to form a guide loop 20'. The two loops 18a1id2 0 respectively form slide guides for the legs 21 and 22 of two outwardly bent hooks 23 and 24, and each of said legs has a loop 9 at its extremity which embraces the proximate-side of the arms 16 and 17 so as to afford a telescopic or lengthwise sliding adjustment between the hooks 23 and 24 and the arms 16 and 17. The hooks, 23 and 24 overlie and embrace the rim of the bowl at opposite sides when the screen is in the bowl and will be confined by the bowl seat when the latter is lowered. The adjustment described above, compensates for bowls of diiferent depths. While the hooks aid in retaining the screen in position, they serve also as a lifting means in handling the screen.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 3 the arms 16 and 17 are eliminated and each of the hooks 23 and 24 is provided with legs 25 which are reversely bent around the ring 10 to form slots 26 whereby each hook is ad justable lengthwise with respect to the sides of the screen to function to the same end as the slidable connection described above. As illustrated, Fig. 3 shows only one of the hooks but it is to be understood the other hook is attached in the same manner. Thus with both hooks sea-ted upon the bowl rim the lost motion slots 26 allow the basket to assume a normal operative position in the bowl.

In using the device, the screen is lowered into position in the bowl with the basket well 14 properly located with respect to the bowl discharge 15, whereupon the retaining hooks 23 and 24 are seated upon the bowl rim and adjusted for bowl depth variation. A diaper is placed in the basket well 14 and the toilet flushed and as a result the ring of flush water is made to flow over and about the diaper. The pressure and velocity of the flushing water makes it unnecessary to dip and redip the diaper as has been done heretofore, and in most instances no handling of the diaper is required. Also it should be observed that the spacing of the wires 11 and 12 provides a plurality of relatively wide discharge openings effective for free passage of fecal matter but sufiicien tly restricted to prevent passage of the diaper or other foreign body. When the rinsing is completed, the diaper may be removed for subsequent thorough washing and, if desired, the screen may be lifted out by means of the hooks.

By providing the basket with relatively large mesh openings, and with the well 14, the diaper is held in the direct path of the flushing water with no tendency to obstruct said flow to an extent interfering seriously with the normal flushing operation. Thus, the diaper will seek a position in the well wherein suflicient space is left at the periphery of the discharge throat to insure free passage for the water adequate to preclude undue build up of the water in the bowl.

We claim:

1. A screen adapted to retain a diaper in a toilet bowl in the path of and for cleansing by the water projected through the bowl when flushed, an approximately circular ring adapted to occupy an approximately horizontal plane within said bowl substantially at the normal water level and in proximity throughout its circumference to the wall of the bowl, and an open mesh basket depending from said ring, said basket having a shallow sump portion of limited cross sectional area as compared with the area embraced by the ring and located eccentric-ally entirely within the confines of and in proximity to one side of said ring, one diametrical side of said sump forming a relatively steep angle with the plane of the ring and the opposite side being of greater length than the side first named and forming a relatively acute angle with said plane so that the bottom of the basket corresponds subv Y 1y connected to opposite sides of said ring and constitut ing position-maintaining struts for said ring.

3. A screen in accordance with claim 2 including means for adjusting the lengths of said arms.

1 References Cited in the file of this patent 2 UNITED STATES PATENTS Bliemeister Aug. 20, 1907 Brewer Nov. 2, 1909 Brewer Dec. 21, 1909 Lambel -2 Nov. 28, 1916 Berry Dec. 14, 1948 Hofiman Nov. 18, 1952 Ehrdardt Dec. 1, 1953 

